FORMER MINISTER SHYAM SUNDAR GUPTA DENIED BAIL FOR RELEASE

FORMER MINISTER SHYAM SUNDAR GUPTA DENIED BAIL
Kathmandu, 18 Feb.: Former minister, lawmaker and NSP (D)
Shyam Sundar Gupta and four other accused for abduction of businessman Pawan Sanghai from the capital in the last week of December 2011 were denied bail by Kathmandu district court Friday.
Police have sought 17-year prison term along with a Rs.8.5 million
for ransom as well.
Arju Subba was released on a Rs.200,000 bail.
Amir Acharya, Kishore Pandey, Akash Lama and Jit Bahadur Gole were sent to Dillibazzar khore by the court.
Gupta was arrested from his hometown Bhairahawa 17 January several weeks after the abduction for ransom
Gupta masterminded the abduction to Kavre from the capital, according to
to police.
Gupta denied the abduction charge.
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UML CENTRALCOMMITTEE MEET CONCLUDES
Kathmandu, 18 Feb.: Opposition UML central committee concluded Friday after
a three-day discussion.
The meeting endorsed Chairman Jhalanath Khanal’s political proposal with amendments for reinforcing party unity to make the third largest party the biggest in the country.
The meeting endorsed a party decision to rank KP Sharma to third in the party after Khanal and former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal.
The central committee ahead of the party’s two-day national representatives council meet in the capital 4 March.
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MINIMUM CAPITAL TEMPERATURE SATURDAY MORNING 5
DEGREES CELSIUS
Kathmandu, 18 Feb.: Minimum temperature Saturday morning was 5 degrees Celsius in the capital.
Mercury is expected to rise to 24 degrees Ceslius in the afternoon.
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APPEAL TO FOR HELP TO ASSISTED STRANDED IN KABUL
Kathmandu, 18 Feb.: Nepal embassy in Pakistan that looks after Nepali interests in neighbouring Afghanistan has appealed to ICRC and other international humanitarian organizations to provide humanitarian assistance to 23 Nepalis stranded inn Afghan capital Kabul where they are jailed.
Indian embassy was providing humanitarian assistance to Nepalis who were arrested for travelling on forged passports, published reports said.
The embassy is attempting to contact and rescue its nationals, the embassy said.
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NO TRACE ON BIRD FLU IN DOMESTIC BIRDS INVALLEY
Kathmandu, 18 Feb.: No bird flu has been detected in chickens and birds in three districts of the Valley,
,The Directorate of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives said Friday.
Dr. Ram Krishna Khatiwada, programme director at the directorate, said this at a news conference in the capital amid earlier reports the epidemic in crown y a British laboratory.
“It’s safe to consume well-cooked meat of ducks and chickens,” he said.
director.

He confirmed traces of the bird flu were crow in a dead crow at Rastriya Sabha Griha
“We did not take more samples, he said.

Khatiwada said tests of birds conducted in Dhading where more than 20,000 chickens have died haven’t been received yet.
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MOHAN BIKRAM THAPA DEAD

Kathmandu, 18 Feb.: Mohan Bikram Thapa died 7 February, his family announced Saturday.
He was 88.
Thapa was Nepal’s forestry specialist from Sindhuli
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PM BHATTARAI PRAISES BIHAR DEVELOPMENT
Kathmandu, 18 Feb.: Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai returned home Friday evening after inaugurating a Global Summit on Changing
Bihar in the stat capital across the border.
He underlined the need for Nepal and India, particularly Bihar, to make best use of their water potential through positive cooperation and mitigate damages that rivers flowing through Nepal and Bihar sometimes cause on both sides of the border, Ram Kumar Kamat reports from Patna, Bihar, in The Himalayan Times,

In his inaugural address as the chief guest of Global Bihar Summit, the Prime Minister said, “We are not just close neighbours, the nature has forced us to work together in harmony.”

Praising Bihar Chief Minister’s achievement for socio-economic development of the state, Bhattarai said Nepalis had been keenly observing the economic and social transformation of the state. “It is heartening to note that under the visionary leadership of Nitish Kumar, Bihar is taking rapid strides not just in economic terms but in terms of almost all human development indicators. Your state today ranks as one of the fastest growing states in Indian union,” the PM said to a thunderous applause.

He said Bihar, in the eyes of many Nepalis, was now a role model for development, economic advancement and social inclusion. “I realise that there’s much to do, you have miles to go. But what you have accomplished thus far makes us almost envious,” the PM said.

Bhattarai said there was huge hydro-power potential of Nepal that can be harnessed for mutual benefit.

“Pashupatinath, Lumbini and Janakpur are religious tourist attractions for both the peoples. There is tremendous scope for joint-venture investments on both sides,” he added, “It is just a matter of understanding, goodwill and vision on the part of political leadership of both the countries. Let the lands of Buddha and Ashoka cooperate for the betterment of humanity and to lead the world in the 21st century.”

“Development would have no meaning if it does not change the life of an overwhelming majority of our people,” the PM added. “Our next should be on ensuring double-digit growth for a sustainable period,” he said. “For this, we need to mobilise massive investment in the most productive sectors from both external and internal sources. In the case of Nepal, tourism, hydro-power, agro-forestry and infrastructure are identified as the potential areas of investments,” he added.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the destiny of Nepali and Bihari people was interlinked and therefore peoples from both sides of the border needed to cooperate. “Although there are some problems in our relations at the government level our relations at peoples level are excellent. We need to cooperate more,” he said.

He said, without elaborating, that some of the solutions to Bihar problem lied in Nepal. In the previous bilateral talks Kumar had urged Nepal to seek long term solutions to flood causing Koshi river and also the management of Himalayan rivers that flow through Nepal and India.

Jumbo junket

Patna: Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai came here to inaugurate Global Bihar Summit and stayed only for a few hours but he brought a jumbo team of 46 journalists with him. Many of the journalists arrived in Patna on Thursday. Among the 46 journalists, 16 represent major national dailies and were recommended by PM’s Personal Secretary Biswodeep Pandey. Thirty others were recommended by PM’s Press Adviser Ram Rijhan Yadav. He told THT that he recommended 30 names separately because Pandey did not consult him while recommending journalists for the trip. Pandey said all expenses, including travel, of 16 journalists that he had recommended would be borne by the Government of Bihar. Yadav said the journalists he recommended will bear their own expenses. The PM, who flew in a Nepali

Army plane, left for Kathmandu on Friday itself but other members of the team will stay. The summit ends on Sunday.
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RANK, DURATION OF FORMER PLA FIGHTERS STUMBLING BLOCKS
Kathmandu, 18 Feb.: The issue of rank determination and duration of bridging course for the Maoist combatants will be the stumbling blocks in the process of integration set to begin next week, The Himalayan Times.reports.

The Unified CPN-Maoist wants at least one brigadier general, while Nepali Congress and CPN-UML are adamant on not giving post higher than major to the combatants. The UCPN-M wishes to shorten the duration of bridging course to three from nine months for juniors and to seven months from 18 months for officer-level posts.

CoAS Gen Chhatraman Singh Gurung presented a ‘non-paper’ briefing to Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai a few days ago. “If needed, the PM will brief the Special Committee about the NA’s proposal at an appropriate time,” said Special Committee member from UCPN-M Barshaman Pun. He said it would take one week to begin the integration process.

NC General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula, talking to The Himalayan Times, ruled out any possibility of Nepali Army bringing a proposal going against the November 1 seven-point agreement. He said according to the pact the rank determination should not affect career development in the NA. Rejecting the media reports about NA’s proposal, he said, “I don’t believe the NA chief or authorities under the NA’s chain of command can bring a proposal going against the rules, norms, professionalism, neutrality and the system of career development of the NA. NC believes the NA’s integrity on the matter.”

Sitaula said, “If the NA brings any proposal going against

the seven-point agreement, it will be a conspiracy against the

peace process and will mean the NA wants to foil the peace process. If such a proposal was made, the Special Committee would not accept it.”

“On rank determination and duration of the bridging course training, the NA’s briefing is not against the seven-point deal,” Pun said. Regarding the duration of bridging course, it could be of three to seven months, as the combatants do not need to take basic courses.

According to NA’s ‘non paper’ proposal, the combatants’ ranks will be determined as per the standard rules and norms of the NA. “The NA will have no role to decide the rank. Decisions will be taken at political level,” Pun said.

About the training venue, he said it was a non-issue, as it could be done at either NA’s training centres or any other place. “We are yet to take political decision about whether the remaining 3,000 combatants, after 6,500 are selected for integration, should be given the chance of integration or not. The Special Committee will decide on it,” he said.

Twin hurdles

• Rank determination: NA will have no role to decide the rank. It will be decided at political level. Maoists want a brigadier general, NC and UML opposed to giving a post higher than major.

• Bridging course: Maoist want it shortened. Three months for juniors and seven months for officer level posts.
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